Gabriel Dylan Author of Whiteout (Red Eye) - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books Guest Post

Hello Everybody. It is a pleasure to welcome the debut author Gabriel Dylan to Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books. He has written a fantastic post sharing his story ideas and some background history to the book. All of which gives a cracking insight into what you might expect when you read it. 

The story is a fantastically scary and thrilling horror adventure which is set in a remote ski village. It has recently been published under the Red Eye imprint which is part of the wonderful Stripes Publishing Company (10th January 2019).  Have a read to see what you think and pop it onto your book list. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The idea for Whiteout came to me a few years ago, on a hotel balcony, high above the Austrian Alps. 

I stood there, watching the sky fade to black, and I couldn’t keep my eyes off the trees and forests that covered the nearby mountains. There was a huge blizzard forecast, so much snow that it was going to block the roads in out and of the lonely resort for a day or two, and I looked into the woods and thought:

What if there’s something down there, in the trees, something evil, that doesn’t want us to leave?

Whilst this introduction might make me sound like some globe-trotting international man of mystery, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, it was the first time I’d ever seen real snow, and soon after the idea for Whiteout popped into my brain I had to abandon my lovely view, start to patrol the hotel corridors, and make sure none of the students I was in charge of were sneaking out after dark, smuggling alcohol into their rooms, or engaged in any other illicit activities.

The real reason I was on that balcony is that I teach English at a huge secondary school in Gloucestershire, and a few months earlier I’d been invited to help run a ski trip for a bunch of sixth formers. As I’d spent my teenage years living by the sea and surfing whenever I had a free minute, snowboarding came pretty easy, and although I’d never been on a ski trip I really fancied the idea of the Alpine lifestyle. So I said ‘yes’, and a few months later I found myself yawning on a hellish twenty seven hour coach journey to a remote corner of the Austrian Alps, whilst the students surrounding me all seemed to be getting some sleep. Getting there was no fun, but the resort we arrived at more than made up for it.

Hochkar, deep in the Austrian mountains, felt like it had been forgotten by the modern world. It was rustic, remote, isolated, and the snow was so deep you could sink in up to your chest in places. It was also somehow very creepy, and perhaps that was what made the idea for Whiteout come to me as I was standing there wishing that something would slip out of the trees after dark and drag away some of the more irritating students on the trip. And with the fact that the impending storm meant we were going to be trapped there, it just really got me thinking.

I’ve always written, although I’d never dared to show my stuff to anyone else (or even tell anyone!), and at the time I was working on an epic fantasy that I just couldn’t get to come together (it definitely wasn’t Game of Thrones). But once the idea came to me that there might be something in the trees, something supernatural, fantasy was dumped in favour of horror. 

I’m a huge fan of the horror genre, and spent lots of my childhood freaking myself out by way of Stephen King, James Herbert, and Richard Laymon. And vampires were always my favourite, but not the handsome Twilight type, more the bald, vicious, long finger nailed Nosferatu of Salem’s Lot. And once I got home from Austria, I started writing Whiteout, and it just kind of poured out of me.

I’m also a huge film fan, and John Carpenter’s The Thing is one of my favourites, with its remote Antarctic setting. 

That definitely played a part, with the isolation and the paranoia and the creature out lurking in the snow. The other film that fed into Whiteout was John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club – about a bunch of mismatched teens locked in a Saturday morning detention. 

I wanted the same kind of ensemble of criminals, outcasts, princesses, geeks, and jocks in Whiteout, but I wanted mine to be in fear of their lives. And once I put them into a situation where they were being hunted down by terrifying vampires in an isolated ski resort, as silly as it sounds the characters just did the rest themselves. 

The other thing I wanted was for people to care about the characters in Whiteout, or at least the important ones who don’t get eaten in the first few pages. There’s two main protagonists, Hanna, a haunted teenage ski guide who finds herself drawn back to the mountains by her tragic past, and Charlie, one of the students that find themselves trapped in the resort. Hanna was the character who arrived first, and she’s my Buffy, Sarah Conner, and Lisbeth Salander all rolled into one feisty horror heroine – I found her a joy to write. And Charlie was based on a lot of different students I’ve taught, the outcasts and underdogs who have had a bad hand dealt to them but still refuse to give up.

It took a few months to get Whiteout written, and once it was done I think I would have probably just put it away in a drawer and left it there. Except for my wife, who hates all things horror and sci-fi, took a peek at the first few pages. Unbelievably she liked it, and she started to chip away at me to send it off to an agent or two.

In October 2017 I buckled and sent Whiteout off. I was sitting at school supervising a detention on the evening I pressed ‘send’. I googled a few agents, and really liked Polly Nolan’s biography, and what she said about needing characters to care about. I just thought ‘why not?’, sent her the first five pages, and never expected to hear back. 

The next day Polly asked for the whole manuscript. 

I was in shock. 

Two weeks later Polly told me she’d finished Whiteout, liked it, and wanted to meet up. Before I knew it, she’d showed it to a couple of publishers, an offer was on the table, and Whiteout, this crazy idea that came to me as I stood on that balcony in Austria, was on its way into the world.

So… if you like snow, vampires, scares, kick-ass heroines, and remote Alpine settings, Whiteout might be worth a look… 

Alex Bell - The Haunting (Red Eye) - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book Review

Some curses grow stronger with time...People say that all Cornish inns are haunted, but the Waterwitch's history is particularly chilling. Built from the salvaged timber of a cursed ship, the guest house's dark secrets go further back than anyone can remember. Emma is permanently confined to a wheelchair after an accident at the Waterwitch which took place when she was ten. Seven years later, she decides to return to the place where the awful event occurred. But the ancient inn still has its ghosts, and one particular spirit is more vengeful than ever...



Back in 2014, the Red Eye series by Stripes Publishing was born. This is a new home for horror genre with a fantastic contemporary makeover for a young adult audience. I've very much enjoyed ever book in this series and always look forward to the next read. This is the second outing for Alex Bell - the previous release was FROZEN CHARLOTTE, which kicked of the series. The Haunting will be the sixth title to be published 11th Feb 2016 and is another fantastic read.

We are indeed all in for another literary treat. Dare you read a Red Eye? It has all the fantastic trade mark characteristics of previous books and much more in my opinion.  Lovers of dark and scary books will enjoy flying down the path of this chilling plot. It will have you hooked on a fantasy path that teen readers will love. You'll find an original plot that explores the greater imagination and will transport you to the Waterwitch, and back, in the blink of a frog's eye.   

The book alternates between the three main characters perspective of Emma, Shell and Jem. It did take me a little time to warm to this type of narrative, after reading a lot of books told in first person. However, it was fantastic to follow Emma (and her narrative) and slightly refreshing to see how she struggled with daily life, and performing normal tasks that most abled bodied people take for granted. Having to cope with being confined to a wheelchair made this plot capture a great sense of realism and was really gripping. It will certainly pull at your heartstrings in an unpredictable way. 

This is a cracking bleak Cornish tale, which is based on a witches curse and traditional folklore. It will have you scared out of your whits, as you never really know what you are up against. It will pick you up and throw you head first into the spooky past and grizzly future. You'll have to be brave, or mad, to navigate the pages, as the chilling aura will morph around you unwittingly and suck you into a characters world. Unfortunately, this may not end in a traditionally happy way. 

The book will lead you to enter the Waterwitch building with it's dramatic history like no other. To me it is the biggest character in the book, as it takes on a mysterious nebulous persona of its own. I really loved visiting this spooky building and exploring its nooks and crannies. The author produced a really detailed account which was loosely inspired by a visit to Smugglers Cot Restaurant (an old historic building from 1420). This to me instilled an electric and foreboding energy that helped to develop a fantastic climatic and dramatic ending. This is another brilliant read that might just get you screaming for more....

Other Red Eye Books: 
Alex Bell - Frozen Charlotte -  5th Jan 2015
Lou Morgan - Sleepless - 5th Jan 2015
Simon Cheshire - Flesh and Blood - 2nd March 2015
Graham Marks - Bad Bones - 4th May 2015
Tom Becker - Dark Room - 10 Sept  2015
Alex Bell - The Haunting - 1st Feb 2016 

Tom Becker - Interview/Q&A - Dark Room (Red Eye)

Book Synopsis: The camera never lies…Darla and her dad are looking for a fresh start. But when they wind up in affluent Saffron Hills, Darla stands no chance of fitting in with the beautiful, selfie-obsessed teens at her new school. Just when she thinks things can’t get any worse, she starts having visions. The gruesome snapshots flashing into Darla’s mind seem to suggest she’s going crazy…until she realizes they’re actually a horrifying glimpse into the future. With a killer on the loose, can she make sense of what she’s seeing before it’s too late?

After reading Dark Room, I thought that it was one of the best YA horror thrillers that I've read this year. Here is my review, so that you can find out WHY. 

At the same time, I took the fantastic opportunity to ask Tom some personal questions about Dark Room and his writing career. Welcome Tom, to Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books, and thanks for taking the time out as I know that you are very busy at the moment. Below are the outcomes of the questions......

What was your inspiration for Dark Room?

Unlike my previous books, I didn't do any reading or research for Dark Room. I just started writing, beginning in Darla and Hopper's trailer, and a bang on the door in the middle of the night. My influences were on the screen rather than the page – US TV dramas such as True Detective and the work of the film director David Lynch, who explores small-town secrets in the most surreal and unsettling ways.

Why do you like writing in the horror genre?

It's all about atmosphere, trying to cast a shadow over the page. Fear is such a personal thing, what scares one person will leave the next utterly unmoved. It's a real challenge for a writer – it demands a delicate touch in some places and a firm (and often blood-drenched) hand in others.

How do you come up with the characters?

I don't have a hard and fast approach, it varies from book to book. Sometimes I'll spend a long time sketching out characters before I begin, but when I sat down and wrote the first chapter of Dark Room I felt Darla and Hopper come together quite naturally. And Sasha Haas elbowed her way straight on to the page with a dismissive snort, daring me to try and tell her what to do.

Is there a message in your book?

Primarily I'm interested in telling stories – if readers are engrossed and keep turning the pages until the end, then that's enough for me. But Dark Room does touch on issues of self-esteem and body image, especially for young women. It's dedicated to Plain Girls (and Boys) everywhere.

What do you think makes a good story?

A little bit of craft and a lot of heart. A writer who is willing to risk a failure in order to show the reader something they haven't seen before.

What helps you be more creative?

Other people being creative – whether it's great writers, filmmakers, artists or musicians. Increasingly I find inspiration in the pages of history books. One of my previous books The Traitors sprang from World War Two POW stories, and While The Others Sleep was informed by histories of the Raj in India.

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just to see where an idea takes you?

Usually an idea has to sit in my head for a long time before I get the chance to write it, and I like to plot it out pretty thoroughly before I start typing. That said Dark Room came much organically – I wrote the first chapter with Darla and Hopper in the trailer and let the story take me from there. It made for a fun change, although there were moments when I missed the safety net of a firmer plan.

Do you have any strange writing habits (like standing on your head or writing in a shed)?

Funnily enough I was asked this same question the other day, and I'm starting to feel a bit self-conscious about my lack of quirky writing habits! I tend to save my strangeness for the page.

What else are you working on now?

I'm working on a manuscript for an epic historical fantasy that I am VERY excited about, and very much hope will make it to the bookshelves. There's also a hush-hush project that is rather cool but I can't talk about yet – hopefully further down the line. And if Dark Room proves popular, maybe I'll get the chance to write some more YA horror. I think I've got some more murders in me...

Tom Becker - Dark Room (Red Eye) - Book Review

WARNING: Not to be read lovers of the Selfie. 

This is the fifth title in the Red Eye series to be published and is coming at you, with killer moves, from September 2015. It is another outstanding written performance by Tom Becker; a YA horror shocker that will have you glued right down to the very last page and, only then, will you be able to take a breath. It's that good that I'm still thinking about the story even weeks after I have finished reading it. 

I'm a very big fan of Tom Becker's previous books; this story is a very clever and a much more mature piece of writing than hisprevious works, in my opinion. It is very reminiscent of Stephen King - it will thrill you and kill you in the same heartbeat. It is a classic 'who done it' mystery consisting of a fantastic villain that will have you considering the final outcome throughout the story. The author sets out his stall from the very first page and leads the reader down a gruesome and grisly encounter that will leave you scared out of your skin . . . 

This story sets the tone brilliantly and left me really intrigued; the author punches the reader with a bloody and brutal vision that will have you fully zoned into Darla's world. Darla and her dad are looking for a fresh start, running from the past again will turn their little world upside down with a bloody bang. They wind up in affluent Saffron Hills, where Darla stands no chance of fitting in with the beautiful, selfie-obsessed teens at her new school.

Just when she thinks things can’t get any worse, she starts having somewhat vague visions, which leads the reader's imagination into overdrive . The gruesome snapshots flashing into Darla’s mind seem to suggest she’s going crazy… until she realizes they’re actually a horrifying glimpse into the future. A serial killer is on the loose, known as the "Selfie Slayer", and is coming for Darla through the lens of a camera. A shocking and mysterious past unfolds with fantastic realism. 

Teenagers will love this book, as they should really connect with the characters. The relationships between Darla and her father and friends is very turbulent, but at the same time, they are very engaging and fantastically well portrayed. Darla is not perfect like most of the characters in the other books which I liked. Her reactions to some of the gruesome parts might be a little inconsistent, in my opinion, and may not always contain enough feelings and emotions in places. She appears to react somewhat casually and nonchalantly at times. 

Nevertheless, this story is one of my favourite books of the year. It is a reading pleasure - a large slice of contemporary, american teenage-life full of twists and turns. It will leave you frighteningly shocked and make your spine tingle. It is a fusion of popular culture and violence fused with the power of social media, which is very much in vogue. This is a clever and intriguing story which has a fantastic ending to a fantastic read. 

Are YOU ready for your close up?

Other Red Eye Books: Dare you read a Red Eye?

Alex Bell - Frozen Charlotte -  5th Jan 2015
Lou Morgan - Sleepless - 5th Jan 2015
Simon Cheshire - Flesh and Blood - 2nd March 2015
Graham Marks - Bad Bones - 4th May 2015
Alex Bell - The Haunting - 1st Feb 2016 

Alex Bell - Frozen Charlotte - Book Review (Red Eye)

Book Synopsis: Dunvegan School for Girls has been closed for many years. Converted into a family home, the teachers and students are long gone. But they left something behind… Sophie arrives at the old schoolhouse to spend the summer with her cousins. Brooding Cameron with his scarred hand, strange Lillias with a fear of bones and Piper, who seems just a bit too good to be true. And then there's her other cousin. The girl with a room full of antique dolls. The girl that shouldn't be there. The girl that died.

If you are looking for a supernatural horror read this January, then look no further then Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell. It's the first book to be rolled out under the Red Eye imprint, who are set to publish a series of exciting new contemporary YA horror titles in 2015. They feature well-known established authors as well as rising stars that are guaranteed to chill you and thrill you at the same time. 

This book was fantastically gripping - written in a true classic horror style. The narrative was beguiling as it sucked me through the 340 or so pages in a blink of a toad's eye. The start of the book is set in 1910 on the Isle of Skye and invites the mind to play. The intense dark horror unfolds and turns into a fantastic ride of emotions. 

Zipping in time to the present day, Jay and Sophie are playing on a downloaded Ooija-board app; I loved the modern twist to this. Inexplicable things and tragic events soon follow Sophie to her cousins' remote house which is known for its gruesome history. This brings about a terrifying tale that will leave you feeling frozen. The story is certainly not for the feint of heart; it will strike fear in you making you want to dive for cover. Evil antique-looking dolls and a remote stately house that oozes with malignant spirits will have you leaping out of your self-controlled pants!

This is the best spooky horror story that I have read for a teenage audience in some time. The book is not overly predictable, which is actually really hard to find at the moment. The characters are mysterious and have a hidden past, which keeps the reader guessing throughout the adventure. The main setting is very well written and brings a gothic surreal element that intensifies the reading experience. 

I had no expectations about this book before receiving it, so I'm really pleased to say that this is a cracking entertaining start to a new series. It will freeze you to the bone and give you a reading experience to be definitely recommend. If you love a good horror story, then this is the book for you. If you love a fantastically well written story, then this is the book for you. If you want suspense, mystery AND something different, then this is the book for you. 

Dare you read a RED EYE? Out 5 Jan 2015